


Sleep Tight

by bell0na



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Gen, M/M, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-29
Updated: 2017-10-29
Packaged: 2019-01-25 21:12:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12541320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bell0na/pseuds/bell0na
Summary: Anon requested: Twelfth doctor x female reader prompt where the doctor finds the reader awake and distressed from having nightmares. He comforts her and attempts to get her to sleep.





	Sleep Tight

_It’s dark. Really dark, dark enough you couldn’t see your hand when you held it up in front of you. Yet, somehow, you knew exactly where you were, feet carrying you on your own path until you were standing in a wide room, a single light shining down in the center of it. You let your curiosity get the better of you and walk forward, standing in the middle of the light and looking up, staring into the light with one hand held up in an attempt to see what was behind it…_

_And just like that, you’re spread eagle. Tied to a wheel at the wrist, ankles, and waist. There’s a feeling in your stomach, something like dread, but it’s all happening so, so slowly. Like you’ve got no control over anything. It goes even slower when the wheel starts spinning, slowly speeding up until you can’t see a thing, only hearing your own voice screaming at the speeds, screaming at the gleam of silver headed right at your head._

The next thing you know you’re sitting upright in bed, chest heaving, palms sweating, you don’t register more than that before you’re out of your bed, hurrying to the window of your second story apartment and throwing it open, letting cool night air wash over you as you breathed.

You closed your eyes tight,  ignoring the stinging in your eyes at you turned your back to the window, sliding down the wall and heaving, doing your best to muffle the sobs escaping your lips. 

This wasn’t the only nightmare you’ve had, not by a long shot. For some reason - be it stress, loneliness, random fears you didn’t know - the nightmares just wouldn’t leave you alone. You couldn’t remember the last time you had slept a full night, let alone a real few hours. 

You were so caught up in your racing heart and gasping breaths that you didn’t hear the tell-tale sound of him entering your house or his various calls of your name in his thick accent. Not until he slammed open the door to your bedroom, enticing a yelp from your lips and you jumped, hitting your head on the window sill above you. 

 

“Ah, ____, There you are. You’ll never guess what I found. A star! A star being born! It’s exciting! Things like this don’t happen every day, get up, let’s go. Come on." 

He was back out the door before he even finished his sentence, calling at you over your shoulder as he walked away. There was a beat where all that could be heard was your sobs, somewhere in the back of your mind you registered his footsteps, him saying your name, and walking over to sit on the edge of your bed, facing you. 

”…___? Are you okay?“

It was a few minutes before you managed to answer him, wiping at your red eyes and resting your chin on your knees, which were pulled tight to your chest.

"Hello, Doctor.” You managed a weak smile

His face frowned, brown and mostly grey hair curled against his head, impeccably dressed with his shoes shined, blue eyes boring into your own with those massive eyebrows looming above them. 

“I didn’t ask if you knew my name, I asked if you were okay.” He stated, Scottish accent prominent enough it took a moment for his words to register in your sleep deprived, freshly terrified state, “Are you  _okay?_ ”

You sniffled, “Does it look like I’m okay?”

“No.”

“Well, there’s your answer.” You grumbled, pulling yourself up from where you were cowering and straightening your pajamas. You moved to your bed, climbing into it and pulling one of your pillows over to you and hugging it to you. 

He was silent for a moment more, deciding if he should speak or not, “There’s a star being born a few lightyears from here—”

“Doctor,” you interrupted, “I’m not really interested in adventures at the moment." 

He shifted, voice full of snark, "Well then, what  _are_  you interested in then, huh?”

“Sleep would be nice.”

That seemed to shut him up for a moment. He must have put the pieces together by now, you didn’t even know if the Doctor ever slept, but he’s been around long enough you figured he had to know what nightmares were at this point in his time-stream. 

you rolled over onto your side, facing away from the Time Lord’s silhouette as you breathed, trying to lull yourself into a sleep. It didn’t work.

“___, have I ever told you about my early days? Before I started traveling, that is." 

You looked at him over your shoulder, "No, but, Doctor, I don’t think this is the best time for this–”

“Nonsense, come with me.” He said, standing and walking to your bedroom doorway. When the only movement you showed was sitting up in bed he turned to you, raising one of those eyebrows and offering his hand. You almost didn’t go, almost. 

But you needed to get out of here. Leave behind the nightmares, even if only for a little bit. 

You stood, taking his hand and letting him lead you into the TARDIS, taking comfort in the whirr of her machinery and the cool lighting, making you feel safer from the second you walked into the door. 

You sat on a bench nearby, one you had insisted the Doctor set up for those times when you were so winded from the running. So much running. The Doctor stood at the console, pushing buttons here and there, pulling a lever and sending the TARDIS moving, off to some unknown location. When he pulled you to the TARDIS door, he didn’t let go of your hand, just let the door open and showed you the stars. 

“It’s a galaxy,” He said, staring straight ahead as you looked up at him for a moment, “A brand new galaxy, just barely beginning to form.”

“It’s beautiful,” You replied, letting go of his hand and sitting down, legs dangling out the doors of the TARDIS, watching the starts. 

He sat next to you, looking out ahead as he let his legs swing. It wasn’t long before you heard him talking, telling you stories of adventures past and present, maybe some future too. Accompanied with the sight in front of you, it was the most peaceful you had ever felt. Finally at peace from the nightmares and the grasp of your daily life. 

Your eyelids were heavy, you let yourself lean on the door-frame of the TARDIS, eyes closing… drifting off to sleep. 

The Doctor didn’t realize for the longest time, letting his memories take hold of him and take him back to better days. 

“That was a good day. Can you imagine, encountering the last of a species, and reuniting them, only to find out that they were actually the first! The first of their kind! ____ imagine that—”

He finally turned to you, fading to nothing as he looked at you. 

“Humans and their sleep.” He grumbled, standing and picking you up with a grunt of effort, carrying you to one of the benches by the console and lying you down. The TARDIS began to whirr again, except the engines seemed a little quieter this time, almost like she was letting you sleep peacefully for the first time in forever. She took you right home, this time materializing in your bedroom instead of your main room.

The Doctor lifted you up again, grumbling about ‘heavy’ and 'getting too old for this.’ He placed you on your bed, covering you carefully - looking almost a little frightened - with your blankets. 

You snuggled into them, smiling in your dreamless sleep. The Doctor turned his back, hesitating in the TARDIS door frame for a moment. 

“Goodnight, ____. Sleep tight. There won’t be any dreams for you tonight." 

**Author's Note:**

> So, I’ve never written Twelve before. Also dreams are hard, spesh when you’re working from the repeating one you get yourself. Criticism is most welcome on that, and really anything. The whole point of this is to get better at writing. Annnyywhoooo~ Hope it passes inspection! =)


End file.
